The Monsoon Diaries: How to travel the world with no time or money -

A Quick Halifax Check

by Calvin Sun | September 12, 2025 | Layovers, Lessons Learned, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Walking Tours | 0 Comments

After two days in Saint-Pierre (and a turbulent ferry ride to Miquelon and back), we boarded an hour-and-a-half direct Air Saint-Pierre 9am flight to Halifax, landing around 9:30am local time (Halifax runs an hour behind Saint-Pierre), Our onward...

Miquelon Impossible

by Calvin Sun | September 11, 2025 | Doctor in the House, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

Sometimes the most spontaneous detours leave the strongest impressions. That morning in Saint Pierre, we hadn't planned on leaving the island. But after completing two walking tours around St. Pierre and checking the ferry schedule, we realized we could still...

48 Hours in a Little Saint-Pierre-ce of France

by Calvin Sun | September 11, 2025 | Saint Pierre and Miquelon, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

After three days soaking in St. John's charm, we dropped off our rental car at YYT Saint John's airport to catch the rare 5pm direct flight (PH1127) via Air Saint-Pierre to Saint-Pierre & Miquelon: one of the few weekly connections between Newfoundland and...

Don’t Be Dildo-Dallying

by Calvin Sun | September 9, 2025 | Canada, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

While based in St. John's, we took a spontaneous day trip by rental car to the now-famous town of Dildo. You'll know when you arrive; they're incredibly proud of their distinctive name. Though a vocal minority has repeatedly raised referendums to...

St. John’s: The Eastern Edge of Everything Everywhere All At Once

by Calvin Sun | September 9, 2025 | Canada, September 2025: Newfoundland to Saint Pierre & Miquelon, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

Months ago I decided to gift myself a week off after Labor Day...simply because I could. After a year as wild as this past one, I craved actual and intentional self-prioritization to restore some balance. Finding fares under $200, I booked a morning departure:...

Singapore Airlines Business Class FRA-JFK

by Calvin Sun | August 5, 2025 | Flying Fancy, Germany, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin | 0 Comments

After a slow morning walk and talking about our villain (antihero?) origin stories in Berlin, I hugged Daniela and Gabe goodbye, hopped on the tram for a few stops, went underground for the metro, and made it back to the hostel in time for a 1:30pm check out. Nisha,...

When You’ve Never Been to Berlin

by Calvin Sun | August 4, 2025 | Let me tell you a Story..., Serendipitous!, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin, The Nightlife, Walking Tours | 0 Comments

If it's not already playing, press play. And then start reading. After 3 days in Amsterdam, Nisha, Sujay, Priscilla, Kenny, and myself boarded a 2pm direct train bound for Berlin. It was a 7.5-hour journey that gave us just enough time to reflect...

I Amsterdand We’re Back in Amsterdam!

by Calvin Sun | July 31, 2025 | How Did You Do That?, Let me tell you a Story..., Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin, The Netherlands | 0 Comments

From Tomorrowland, because apparently we still weren’t done, 7 of us rerouted north for one last hurrah in Amsterdam, linking up with Anthony Lui and his Dutch crew. While most of the group boarded planes home to brave the dreaded post-festival blues, we...

Tomorrowland After The Fire

by Calvin Sun | July 29, 2025 | Belgium, Festivals, Fit for Foodies, Serendipitous!, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin | 0 Comments

How’s my ankle holding up before Tomorrowland.... This is Day 0 — right after a 1500-lb bull stepped on it: Day 8: Day 4: Day 17: Not bad, right? Turns out I can be pretty decent at wound care when the stakes are high. Last year was cancer, this year...

Melilla-ll Your Dreams Come True

by Calvin Sun | July 23, 2025 | Ceuta & Melilla, July 2025: Northern & Southern Spain, Spain, Summer 2025: The Long Road to Berlin, Way Way Off the Beaten Path | 0 Comments

After a long road trip across nearly the entire circumference of Northern Morocco, we reached our hotel by 2:00am local time earlier this morning at Hotel Melilla Puerto, trying our best to ignore all the kids trying to get in behind us due to a recent concert nearby...

Conjuring Some Majuro-ic

by Calvin Sun | Mar 3, 2024 | Flying Fancy, Hawaii, March 2024: The Pacific Island Hopper, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

After we took off from Pohnpei, we continued on United Airlines' island hopper Flight 133, which flies on Sundays and Wednesdays. Pro-tip: if you fly on the Wednesday schedule, you'll be lucky to add on a stop in Kosrae, another island of the Micronesia island...

The Pohnpei That Survived The Volcano

by Calvin Sun | Mar 3, 2024 | March 2024: The Pacific Island Hopper, Micronesia, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

After new passengers from Chuuk boarded, I finally got my chance to pee as they close the bathrooms during landing for cleaning. Delayed gratification. We then forged ahead to Pohnpei, taking off at 12:10pm. I recommend sitting on the right side when landing...

Onboard the Choo-Chuuk Plane

by Calvin Sun | Mar 3, 2024 | Blitzkrieg!!!, Crisis, Doctor in the House, March 2024: The Pacific Island Hopper, Micronesia, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Here we go! I finally get to experience the United Airlines famed Pacific island hopper in the other direction after taking a part of it 4 years ago.Probably the most burning question is where to sit:If you're flying from GUM to HNL (eastwards), sit on the right...

The Pacific Island Hopper: UA 133/155

by Calvin Sun | Mar 3, 2024 | Crisis, Doctor in the House, March 2024: The Pacific Island Hopper, Micronesia, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

Can’t Stop Yappin’ About Yap Day

by Calvin Sun | Mar 2, 2024 | March 2024: The Pacific Island Hopper, Micronesia, Serendipitous!, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

With Guam behind us, we flew on our midnight United Airlines flight 185 out to Yap of the Federated States of Micronesia, landing at around 1:30am in the morning. Yap is one of the 4 states of Micronesia and the land of stone money (more on that...

Can I Have a Piece of Guam?

by Calvin Sun | Feb 27, 2024 | March 2024: The Pacific Island Hopper

Good morning from Saipan: After a full day exploring Saipan, the next morning felt like it was moving pretty straightforward: I had gotten 9 full hours of sleep, was promptly picked up by our taxi driver and guide Sumon at 7:45am, and even got upgraded to...

Please Notice Me, Saipan!

by Calvin Sun | Feb 26, 2024 | Blitzkrieg!!!, Fail, Layovers, March 2024: The Pacific Island Hopper, Northern Mariana Islands, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

From Palau, and having snuck in 4 hours of sleep from 8pm-midnight, we boarded the 2:05am United Airlines Flight #158 to Guam, landing at 5:10am underslept and miserable. Since Guam is a U.S. territory, transiting in Guam work as if you were entering...

Palau Deck!

by Calvin Sun | Feb 25, 2024 | March 2024: The Pacific Island Hopper, Palau, Way Way Off the Beaten Path

After 10 days in snowpowderalypse paradise, I returned from Niseko to CTS airport on an early morning shuttle bus to make my 2:10pm flight to Taiwan. Arriving in the evening, I met up with Stephanie Liu, a derm-pathologist doctor who found me on the...

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